


Simon Says (Safety)

by blindtaleteller



Series: Platovember Prompts 2020 [16]
Category: Captain Marvel (2019), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Character Death Fix, Emotional Baggage, Gen, Lokiverse - Freeform, Mixology (Lokiverse), Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:40:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27735469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blindtaleteller/pseuds/blindtaleteller
Summary: Clint Barton and Tony Stark discuss Loki's fate while he's unconscious after the final battle with Thanos leaves the Trickster god with all six stone still embedded in his left hand: only to be interrupted by him waking, just in time for Carol Danvers to bring in news he may not have been unconscious without design in the first place... and receive an interesting request.
Relationships: platonic - Relationship
Series: Platovember Prompts 2020 [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999015
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8
Collections: Loki, Platonic Relationships, Prompted Writing





	Simon Says (Safety)

**Author's Note:**

> Door 13 (between Lisan and Flyk's universes) is home to another of the Barton triplets on that latter half of the Vestibule mentioned in prior parts of this series, Loxley; among others. I haven't gotten into much of their story at all myself, but the world and it's universe still has a voice over here to some extent because of them. While this one holds some parallel s to DREAMS, there are enough differences to keep them very easily separate; including Loki's return coming just in time to take part in the final battle of Endgame.

  * IDENTIFY LOCATION: LOXLEY - DIMENSIONAL IDENTIFICATION CONFIRMED : HVRA0616-9H-13
  * \---INTER-UNIVERSAL DOORWAY ENTRY POINT H8 : OBSERVATIONAL STATUS - TVA INTERFERENCE : _OBSERVATION_ _DETECTED_
  * \----MIDGARD NORTHERN HEMISPHERE : NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT : VISITATION CAUTIONS _ADVISED_ : UPSTATE NEW YORK -AVENGERS COMPOUND
  * \------KNOWN DOMESTIC TIME VARIANCE : 9: 04 PM US EST



**=-Simon Says-=**

" He wake up yet? " snapped Clint's head up from the lean it had been drifting to with the thoughts racing through it over and between his knees where he was sitting in the dark. Tony was more outline than full view with the lights low as they were, but he could tell by the stiffness to his lean against the door frame that asking was more an automatic thing, and what had been going through Barton's head: was probably going through Stark's too. The uncertainty that came with who was on the gurney, being cared for in the first place and why. The edge, that the rainbow glow from the other side of the bed put _everyone_ on when they came in range.

" Not that I've seen.. " came with a rub of his hands down his face, and Barton sitting back in the chair; and Tony crossing his ankles like he was settling before he made comment himself. " I'd say, you should get some shut-eye yourself, but I'd be a hypocrite on that one. " had Barton huffing a short and soundless laugh. Because he was pretty sure that though everyone but Bruce had been avoiding this floor after the initial rush, including Thor: the others were likely wide awake and on as many pins and needles as he was.

That " Pretty sure everyone's in that boat tonight. " went without contest, told him he was right.

" You try calling home again yet? " From Stark after a long pause and Clint shook his head. " Not since yesterday. She's ... pretty mad at me. Told me not to; so, I'm giving her the space. "

" Maybe you shouldn'ta told her _everything._ " while Barton was eyeballing the dark haired man currently at his worst in the bed in front of him had Clint shaking his head. " She woulda found out; and .. we were never like that. Laura's always forgiven me, but. I don't know about this one though. I ... the things I did while they were gone: they probably won't pass. "

" Less so that now there's survivors to go with some of your victims, snapped back into breathing; and your _other_ moniker's on those death certificates? " was past making Clint flinch, at this point. But no less true. He just nodded at his knuckles where his fingers were woven together almost prayer style between his spread knees, and at the grey tile beneath them. Tony was; not a _full_ supporter of keeping the man in front of him alive: but. He couldn't argue that he himself might not have been breathing to even put those two cents in, if Loki hadn't shown up when he did either. " That why you're hanging up here with him? " was a whole other question though. At least, he thought so.

" I dunno. _Maybe._ " Was one truth he'd come to. " Nobody but Bruce wants to come up here and watch him outside of a camera either. Everything else aside, he showed up and snapped the asshole to the curb. Feels wrong leaving him alone after.. _after that._ "

" You sayin' that cause of your personal predicament, or his; or ..? " as a question aimed at him had Clint blowing out a breath and rubbing his fingers forward through his hair for a little extra patience. Different words, but the implication was the same.

" I'll say it again, he didn't use any of the stones on me; not like that... no mind control, no freaky juju at all in the negative. Not this time. " Though, the dark haired, tall piece of work currently hooked up to the monitors had used them to save his ass; enough times after T'Challa had stumbled, and fumbled the glove for Loki to swoop in out of nowhere: and not so much rip the stones out of the gauntlet as just plain shove the wrong hand in there and fuse it to his arm in the process of wiping everything hostile that came their way out with the Simon-says on super-speed he had made of the flashing nasty disco lights Loki had pushed, _and_ pushed and _pushed?_ That Clint had lost count of how many lives he might owe the blue eyed god.

" Banner said you checked out, yeah. That wasn't what I meant. "

_Ah._ That was the other thing; the question of his mental state otherwise. " I'm fine, just; _shaken:_ like everyone else. " Which wasn't the whole truth, but; wasn't a lie either. " You were there, you saw it. " Wasn't either. " I might not.. I might not be able to go home right now? But the reason I have one to worry about, or worry about being able to go home to at all if we make up: is laying right here. One of them, anyway. If he doesn't pull out -- "

" Bruce said he'll be fine. " wasn't anything new but: " He should've woken up hours ago. " was part of what was dragging at Clint.

" After what I saw on Vormir?" his eyes were locked on that sunset orange rock, or rather where he knew it was, still attached and glowing on Loki's other hand; a few inches down from the claws the gauntlet had taken on since he'd slipped his fingers into it. " ..I wonder if it's that simple. There's a lot we don't know about those rocks. "

" His guidance program's filling us in.. weird as that sounds. " came on a breath out from Tony too; along with a small piece of respect Stark probably threw more for the smart tech currently parked outside the Compound. Which was also Loki's doing. Last thing he'd done was clean up the nasty mess of a crater Thanos had left it in. Nothing like what it had been either. Better. Recognizable, yes; if only for the logos. But the rest was so different and familiar at the same time it was eerie. Like he'd just plucked a whole new set of buildings out of thin air, landscaping and all: and scooted it into place. Which, was good. Because no one thought taking him to Norway was a good idea, or had been sure he would have made that trip with as unstable as he'd been.

" I should tell you; " brought his head up again, had him looking at Stark as he pulled the chair just inside the door from the wall to settle in, hands wrapped up behind his head. " there's talk of removing them forcibly, if he doesn't wake up and have a way to get them off himself. " Just about shot Clint ramrod straight.

Because " What? No.. that's stupid. You haven't even got the .. the time machine or whatever rebuilt yet. "

" No, we don't. But, it isn't just about that. Like you said; we don't know a lot about the stones. And here he is, unconscious and stuck wearing them in his knuckles like a nasty, world ending set of permanently attached mood rings. We don't know what's going on with him, or them. Just that we can't get them out on our own. " Which they'd known, but still. Still, it bothered the hell out of him; because they didn't know how to do it short of removing that hand. That was the point. Strange had tried, so had Bruce. Tony had tried getting the nano-tech to respond too, but nothing. If it _was_ even nano-tech any more.

" Even if we didn't have to send them back; there's no telling _what else_ they're doing to him besides the obvious constant charge that; absolutely cannot be helping with how slow he's recovering, even with Asgardian aid. "

Which didn't account for much in itself at the moment since Asgard had gone up in a fiery boom, somewhere out there: even five years later. Clint was building his words still, keeping Tony's stare knowing that the removal of that hand, was exactly what they were talking about when " ..unacceptable, the same. " from a completely unexpected direction pulled them both to a stop-and-stare at the bleary, if glowing haze of blues behind the half veil of black lashes. If not for that glow, that slow motion looking between them as his pupils visibly shrank and widened focusing on them one at a time; Clint might have thought he had imagined the response.

" ..will kill anyone involved in that thought process, as well. " wasn't far from what he'd expected though, if Loki had been able to hear what was being said; which apparently he had. He didn't stir much otherwise, which wasn't encouraging.

" Yeah because _**that** threat_ looks doable, with your skin cracking from the glove up; and your eyes glowing like a set of blue loading rings stuck at ninety nine percent." Was mostly sarcasm of course from Tony's end; though Clint partially agreed. Loki didn't look like he was up to much more than he was currently at: which pretty much amounted to him laying there in the gurney. Didn't stop him from arguing though, not that Clint wouldn't have himself given the only how they had to get the rocks loose at the moment.

" Oh, it _is;_ with what's causing this false shell of theirs to crack.. try to take my hand and- " was a near slurred rumble, before Loki tried to sit up, failed in half a second and; managed to push himself to a partial before Clint was just there and helping him for all the effort that took; getting a long look from those scary neon blue eyes while Clint stuffed the firm fluff of Loki's pillow and the one from behind him in his chair up behind his head and back. The help shut him up a few seconds, and turned his tones an octave lower before he finished the broken thought. " And I'll take what I have and leave, minus the green one. "

Those eyes were still drilling him in the dark when he sat back down and realized he was under two sets of stares; and he realized both of them were working different levels of disbelief. " You think that's gonna pass, huh? "

" I know it will regardless; if you threaten me again in my current space.. I am not above using anything including the stones to defend myself, even in this state; Stark... " was drawn out as some motion, the sound of the door to the stairs Barton recognized; and a squint at the observation window above Clint's head as whoever it was marched around the outer edges of his room to the door. " ..which may come sooner than expected from the looks of it." Though it was " Hello again, Miss Danvers. " that turned Tony's head fast for the doorway before Carol snapped on the lights at a reach and reminded Clint how pale he was; the comparative tones of his skin almost matching the darker ivory of the pillow cases and sheets.

" Thought you weren't due back for at least a week..? " from an very curious Tony barely got a glance from Danvers while she was glaring at Loki when she answered. " I would've been; if the last three stops hadn't not only been dealt with but; pretty much fixed at impossible levels. I had to make sure he was still here. "

" Hasn't moved an inch unless we've moved him, until now.. ...why? " was Tony as confused as Clint was by the implications, though Clint; Clint was also instantly suspicious.

That " Because I just saw him on another planet. Well; what equates to a projection of him. " had Loki shrugging, and Clint noting that the light show on the other side of the bed had stopped; pulled his eyebrows. " Oh yeah? " From Tony while Clint was watching his face, where he was caught in that staring contest with Danvers from his hospital bed didn't phase Loki. " That's interesting. Mind explaining? "

" Missed him the second time; but apparently someone's been fixing major damage caused as a result of the snaps. Dams collapsed, geothermal regulators; things that.. when supervised, keep natural disasters in check. " had those brows of Clint's going up again, catching on Carol because he wasn't sure whether to take her at her word there, but if they did.. " Last time though; well, that's how you got my name, isn't it? Since you weren't conscious, when I landed here on earth. "

Quiet, as that fact processed; and Clint realized she was right. Carol had been in the air still, when he'd gone down. Tony had it registered a lot quicker than Barton yes; but he didn't seem to know what to say. " How come the rocks have suddenly stopped their glow-show, Loki? " pulled his eyes back to Clint again, holding them for a few long seconds; before he actually laughed and said " Of course you would be the one to notice that. I am not using them at the moment; that, is why. "

At a glance? That response clearly knocked whatever either of the others had to say right out of their mouths. He didn't stop there though; waving his good hand briefly up from it's rest over his stomach. " You didn't think just.. punting that one out of existence would be the end of it, did you? Just because it ended most of it for you..? I wasn't aware of Miss Danvers, until she made me notice her; the same. " He readjusted himself a little, ignoring the other two in the room in favor of focusing on Clint. " Strange would understand the logistics of how that's been possible. I've been watching from another hospital bed these last five years, after all. Planning for the possibility of never leaving it for more than an hour or three was something that had to be taken into consideration. "

" You expect us to believe you been fixing some of the messes going on the rest of the universe over? " from Tony almost got trumped by Carol's overlapping " Why were you in a hospital bed for five years..? "

Except that Loki wasn't having her question: skirting around it by simply saying to Danvers " Ask Thor. " and settling his head into the static position again from the long look he had held on Clint. " As for fixing things; that's my unfinished business. And well outside of yours, Stark. Miss Danvers however.. perhaps we should coordinate to some extent. " pulled her knuckles tight for a moment. " I'm currently working the third quarter here; Akhest Major, sectors. Sector fifteen, and Xandar is next. I recommend leaving them both to me. I am.. very familiar with Xandar and its needs, and I am nearly finished with the worst in Akhest. The remainder is superfluous by comparison, and out of your reach of ability as I've come to understand it. "

If Tony had any idea what to say, it had been blown completely out of his reach with that string, or rather with what it meant. Clint wanted confirmation. " Hold up.. " caught those blue eyes on Clint again, and he noticed, thought; maybe if they shut out the lights again; they might be a lot dimmer than they had been before Carol had come in. " ...you're saying you've actually been doing this. In your sleep? "

" I haven't been asleep. As I said.. Strange would understand the logistics. Astral projection allows for a much sharper point or nine to focus on. The remainder of how though, is simple enough? And I am surprised at your reaction.. " adjusting his position a little took visible effort. " ..as it shouldn't surprise you lot of all and any; that the stones can affect the entire universe from well: _anywhere **in** it._ Not after what they did at the least with that first conjoined use here. "

And didn't that just land an extra kick to the head; because: that was a damned good point. A world away; his own family had been snapped out of existence. Which had been bad enough. But he knew, maybe better than most knew it: that had happened everywhere. Danvers looked.. unsure, of what to make of him now; if she wasn't before. But Clint could give her this: she was fast to suck up a breath, square her shoulders and snap out like a real trooper without need for much more: " I'd ask if you were being genuine but; I've seen some of the things you've done. So. " and get a disbelieving are you serious stare at the side of her face when she asked " What about Kree space? If we take knowing the area and people into this; I can hop the border and start helping planets there. Mark the ones I might need your help to better, for you when I run into them..? "

" You cannot seriously, be talking about this? " from Tony, and she wasn't the only one giving Tony a look for it. Because Clint got it; he did, even before it came out of her mouth. " This isn't about the easy displacement Earth has as a major lashback, Stark. Just because Thanos is gone, doesn't mean the damage he left behind is. Or that people aren't still dying as a result! Some of them literally brought back just to die! Why? Because the place they were snapped out at is toxic now, today; or on fire if not under a burst volcano that used to be under control of the indigenous. Or under water. Or even worse; especially if they lived in space itself. Our world? Is just _one_ of literally countless worlds affected. And frankly: we got it easy. "

Which did shut Tony up, well before she got through the second sentence. The last, had him sitting back down and staring at Loki like .. well. Exactly what he was; something they didn't know. Something they thought they had beaded and didn't. Danvers looked and sounded a lot like she had made up her mind though. She was on team Mischief, and why came out real fast in case she hadn't made it clear: even as Bruce was stepping into view behind her in the hallway. " No one else here can help at the level you can with those stones in your hand; not even me: I've seen that. We may as well coordinate. So.. do you have another way to keep in fast contact; or am I gonna have to ask Bruce to move a holo-projector up here? "

" I can track you. " was sounding a bit tired. Or exasperated; Clint wasn't sure which. " But.. contacting me through Mother, may be more reliable. "

" Mother..? " had Carol tipping her head, and Clint's brow going up when he explained. " ...think of her as a much more advanced and comprehensive program akin to Friday. She runs my nearby shipyard, on Lua; it's security, observation and initiative oversights when I am not present.. and often when I am. "

" You have a shipyard."

" Five, scattered across the universe from here; yes. Most shipwrights do have at least one, yes. The Mare is very close. In orbit. " had Tony raising a hand and finger on it that Loki ignored. " That.. is where the sixteen that came with me, came from. All I need is a satellite up-link to connect Mother directly to you; after I've received your frequency. I made it a habit never to connect to Midgard itself. Her stealth has; always been priority. "

" Huh. " sounded, and looked impressed as she started to turn, and Clint was on board with that feeling as well as the surprise. Because he made it sound like it had been up there a while. Which, Carol picked up on only after that first half step, and a glance him way while he was mostly looking at Loki. " How long's it been up there? " 

" I haven't expanded on more than a few upgrades, and the library in two or three hundred years. "

" What. " pitched high from Tony pretty much covered the mow that sentence pushed through the grass of what thoughts had been running around the room, never mind Clint's own head. Bruce looked as floored because, and as Carol pointed out with her last words " ..so you had all that, when you attacked New York, huh. That explains the bullshit injury and death count; compared to everywhere else his real cronies visited. "

" As I said.. stealth. The only army and support I had, was Barton; and what was coming through that portal: back then. " he was starting to sound tired again, and settling in. " Miss Danvers, may I collect on my favor? It will only take about fourteen hours of your time. " surprised her, and had Bruce tipping away from the wall. Carol only took a few seconds to consider before nodding. " I owe you a few, so yeah. Fourteen hours, I can do. "

" Mm. It is.. nothing special. A friend is coming, here. From the inner turn. He won't be here until morning, and will need guidance. You are best equipped to see him here. I need his safety in landing guaranteed. "

Which was weird in and of itself, and put a stop on her leaving entirely. " What kind of friend? "

" The very rare sort. " the blink to his eyes, said the tired was already catching hold of him too. " A seventy six thousand year old Coelcanthrin, by the name of Kiirvixis. " seemed to really put Carol off her kilter though; brows up in the rafters immediately. " He can fix the lake. It's his habit to scan ahead though; and I would prefer he didn't. "

" You know a Coelc--never mind; " changed directions real fast. " Why no scans? One of their kind coming here's a good thing. "

" True, but I want him to stay; and his scans will be uploaded to their network automatically. " definitely wasn't what she was expecting either; from the way her head cocked back. " Creating competition I would rather he not have, as further enticement. And frankly, the kind this planet doesn't need, either. "

" They'd compete over Earth? " The rest of them were just kind of following along as best they could while Carol received a nod in confirmation. " One other thing, if you could. Check the water supply, and fill in Anthony and Bruce? I think you may know what's needed to prepare them for his arrival. "

"...I've heard things, yeah. Anything else? " and Carol wasn't the only one looking concerned while his eyes started towards that dazed look.

" Lights out, please; naked as they are with my false skin cracked: the bright is only serving to make the headaches worse. " had her reaching to flick them right off again as he continued. " He'll be here in the morning. Nine, perhaps eleven at the latest... ..also, he will threaten to stab most people here at least two or three times, including yourself. Ignore that after he agrees to follow you. When you meet him, call him Vix; and declare your alliance with me openly. He'll ask you a question. It's a very bad personal joke between us. " Clint had a feeling he wasn't going to be awake much longer. " The answer is always; stab, stab pull. Say that, and he'll believe you without further question to our association. Otherwise.. rest, between. I'll settle up what your arrival interrupted in the meantime. "

Just like that: he was out again, and Carol was pulling Tony with her, while Clint was left watching the unconscious again Loki; eyes flipping from his face to the flickering again lights from the gems embedded at his left side. Clint found himself staring at his face though, in the end. He could hear Bruce and Tony asking questions of Danvers already; the inevitable barrage of distrustful questions from Tony in particular: and the no nonsense shut down tone she was replying in, telling him about an amphibious race on their way to the far west side where, Clint knew the boilers were: but otherwise lost the conversation, his own thoughts and what was more apparently going on in the room he was left sitting in sitting that on the back burner for now.

There were a lot of questions, though the ones the others were asking were small and petty compared to the answers Danvers had brought with her return; whether she realized it or not. At least it did for Clint. They could trust him. Not that he hadn't already made that choice himself; but it was reassuring. Reassuring, and worrying; full of concern as the low-light show kept going on and off and on again in random order on the other side of the gurney. There were other questions now. The ones that were left behind, had been left behind as far back as New York. The question as to, whether what he did remember of Loki's last major visit had been everything Danvers had seen so easy and made it out to be; versus what they'd been telling themselves based on what they had known at the time: and what they'd been telling themselves since the first stone had been broken loose to set it aside when he wasn't around to have to face the gigantic holes in those stories.

He ended up laughing at his own question when the answer hit faster than a bullet, right behind it.

_Was it safe to trust him?_

_**No.** But when was trusting anyone besides yourself a safe bet?_

Trust was a gamble. Always, even with yourself; was the thought that came next; especially thinking about calling his wife.

For Barton; becoming Ronin had been a break in that trust. That was what Tony grazed, but didn't fully understand.

Even with Cap and Bucky here. Even with that history, he didn't think Stark would get it unless it was shoved right up in his face and pointed out.

Safe or not; Loki was the best bet they had right now; and the only one on the table still fixing things, while the rest of them were trying to figure it all out. And yeah, Danvers had an ally on team Mischief in him. He didn't think anyone else could do this. He also hoped the guy wasn't paying too high a price for it. Cause he really, really wanted to ask the questions that followed up behind all that, about their shared past. Especially when following someone else's patterns for it, felt really off all of a sudden.


End file.
